Bathinette



June 11, 1957 J. c. SETECKA BATHINETTE Filed Feb. s, 1955 United States Paten Q N 2,794,990 BATHINETTE John C. Setecka, Chicago, Ill. Application February 3, 1955, Serial No. 485,895

3 Claims. '(Cl. 4-177) The present invention relates to a new and useful improvement in baby bathinettes. Specifically it has to do with a self draining tub having a removable water supply and quick-release drying pad which permits bathing the small baby in clean water with a minimum of handling. Much has been done with conventional bathinettes to improve their operation with-in the limited confines of -theirstandardized construction. Uniformly the available moderately priced bathinettes require filling the tub portion with the water to be used for the entire bath. By the time the bath is completed the water has become soapy and otherwise soiled. Replacement with clear rinse water is "clumsy, and practicable only where running water is available.

In addition, conventional bathinettes make no provision for quickly drying the baby after the bath without removing him completely from the tub. Separate and ind'e'pendent'use of the elements and components-of a con 've'ntiona'l bathinette also does not prove practicable.

v one object of the present invention is to provide a bathinette which by its nature utilizes clean water for progressively bathing and rinsing the baby. An allied object is to provide a bathinette with an independent water supply and drainage system which permits the use of the unit at locations remote from a source of water.

Another important object of the invention is to furnish "rnitting the subsequent drying of the baby, after bath, by only lifting-him slightly outof the tub'.

further advantage of the bathinette of the invention is that it may be readily disassembled for storage. In addition, the drying mat may also be used as a portable table cover converting any flat surface into one convenient to change the baby.

An additional feature of the invention lies in the inherently inexpensive construction which achieves the foregoing objects and advantages.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baby bathinette illustrating one application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the bathinette illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view in partial section, the section being taken along section line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the inner portion of the bathinette tub.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the bathinette taken along section line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

In order to bathe the baby without constantly immersing him in soapy and dirty water, and to provide a supply of fresh water, the bathinette 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is provided with a removable water tray 11 and a continuous draining tub 12. As the baby, lying in the tub bottom 14, is bathed the water flows downwardly to the drain 15 and out through the drain hose 16 into an adjacent bathtub, drain, or any convenient receptacle.

After the baby is bathed, and is ready to be dried,

a'bathinette which has a quick-release drying surfaceper- 2,794,990 Patented June 11, 1957 rather than having to lift his wet, slippery and squirming body away from the safety of bathinette tub 12, the quickrelease arm 18 is removed from the drying mat .20, and the mat quickly rolls out along the bottom of the tub 12 into position as shown by the broken lines 21 in Fig. 1. The baby is then gently lowered onto the drying that 20 and dried and changed.

A pair of straps and baseboard loops 22 are provided around the periphery of the tub 12 so that a reinforcing baseboard and changing table combination can be effected by merely tightening up on the ends 24 of the straps 22 thereby elevating the base of the tub 12 up to a-.horiz'ontal position. The bottom then becomes fiat and sturdy through the support of the reinforcing board 25.

The resulting combination provides the mother with a bathinette, a drying table upon which the baby can be placed without removing him more than afew inches from his position in the bathtub, and a flat changing table to which the bathinette may be converted, by merely tightening the bottom strap. The ready portability, alternative uses for component parts, and many other convenient features of the bathinette illustrating the invention will become apparent as the details of the construction follow.

The frame 30 of the bathinette contemplates two pair ofcrossed legs 31 having rubber feet 32 which rest snugly on the floor surfacewhere the bathinette is located. The legs are pinned at their crossing point and secured sturdily by the longitudinal tie rod 34 which is threaded and shouldered at both ends, the shoulder bearing against the inner portion of the crossed legs .31 and the threaded :por- -tion extending through a pair of coaxial .holes at the intersection of the legs 31 and secured by a wing .nut'35 at its end thereby fastening the pairs of crossed legs 31 together and tying the two pairs together for supporting the bathinette tub unit. -The legs extending to the rear .portion of the bathinette have a bent vertical portion which receives the end pockets of the pocketed back .pad portion 38. ,7

The bathinette tub 12, preferably made of a sturdy water-proof flexible material, is seamed at its edge pertions to receive longitudinal supporting rods 28. The longitudinal support rods 28 are secured to the crossed legs at their upper portions by means of wing nuts 29 thesarne manner as the 'longitudinal tie rod-34is secured 7 to the crossed legs at their intersection by wing nut 35.

Lateral support is achieved across the end of the tub as the legs 31 stretch due to loading. Tie rods may be inserted laterally for additional rigidity if desired.

In order to provide for a rigid base along the bottom 14 of the bathinette 12, straps 22 are provided transversely encircling the base of the tub 12. The straps 22 are secured to the longitudinal tub support rod 28 at the rear portion of the bathinette. The loose forward ends 24 of the straps may be tightened and ser cured at the forward portion of the bathinette by buckles 23. A reinforcing board 25 slips beneath the bottom' 14 of the bathinette and is supported in place by the loops of the straps 22 which encircle the bottom of the tub 12. The reinforcing board 25 thereby serves the two-fold purpose of providing a solid bottom under the tub while it is used for bathing the baby, and a solid support table for the entire unit when it is used as a changing table throughout the day. Although two support straps have been shown, a single strap will suflice, or more may be used if needed.

To provide an independent source of clean water, the water supply receptacle 11 has been provided with a drain lip 13 which overlaps the edge of the tub 12 and rests there in place. A mounting rack 39 bridges the tops of the crossed legs 31 and supports the flange 13 of the water receptacle 11.

The receptacle 11 is filled with water of the tempera- 3 ture desired for the bath at any convenient source, and is then fixed in place over the edge of the bathinette tub, 12 by placing it on the mounting rack 39. The baby is thenbathed by either scooping out water with the hand, or with a small cup or other container, thereby not returning any soapy or dirty water, into the receptacle 11. The water drains out through the drain hole 15 and the drain hose 16 from the tub 12.

Another. unique feature of the invention resides in the unique quick-release drying mat which instantly converts the tub 12 into a drying and changing table. The drying mat 20, in its ready position, is rolled up at the high end of the tub bottom 14 and held there in place by the quick-release arm 18. A plurality of removable clips 40 hold the end of the drying mat at the upper end of the tub base. The quick-release arm 18 is semicircular in shape, its ends having outwardly projecting tangs (not shown) which are received by bored ears on the inner faces of the drying mat central mounting clips In operation the drying mat 20 is released to roll down into its operating position by lifting the quick-release arm 18. This may be accomplished by raising the quick- 'release arm with the left elbow thereby eliminating the necessity of even removing one arm from grasping the wet, slippery and squirming baby. The drying mat then covers up the entire damp bottom of the tub rolling out into position as shown by the dotted lines 21 in Figs. 1 and 4. It will be noted that the edges of the drying mat curve upwardly covering a portion of the walls of the tub thereby creating a large dry surface on which to complete drying the baby or changing him after the bath.

If desired, the bottom of the tub may be converted into a changing table before or after drying the baby by drawing up on the straps 22. The arrangement of the straps and bottom reinforcing panel is such that the bottom of the tub may be selectively tilted or raised to suit the convenience of the user.

Should it prove desirable, the drying mat 20 can be readily removed from the bathinette and carried, rolled up, as a portable changing table cover. For example, any flat table Where one may be visiting with the baby can be converted into a changing area by rolling out the drying mat 20.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in full here, there is no intention tothereby limit the invention to the details of In such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative embodiments, usages and equivalents of the bathinette as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bathinette comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a tub supported by said frame having a sloping bottom with a drain in its lower portion, a drying pad secured'to the edge of the tub adjacent the upper portion of the sloping bottom, a quick-release arm adapted to receive the drying pad when coiled and readily release the drying pad for unrolling along the bottom of the tub, a water holder frame at the edge of the tub adjacent the drain having a water receptacle removably held within said water holder frame, a bottom hoist characterized by straps girdling the under portion of the tub, means releasably securing the bottom strap at one end, and a removable fiat back for the bottom of the tub which cooperates with the straps when pulled tight to convert the bottom surface of the tub into a changing table flush with the edges of the tub.

2. A bathinette comprising, in combination, a frame, a tub of flexible water-proof material supported by said frame, a pair of straps girdling the bottom of the tub selectively secured at one end to an edge of the tub, means releasably securing the straps to the other edge of the tub, a panel approximating the projected area of the tub insertable between the tub and strap thereby permitting converting the tub bottom to a changing table at a level approximating the upper edges of the tub perimeter.

3. A bathinette comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a tub portion having a sloping bottom with a train at the lower portion, a water holder frame at the edge of the tub adjacent the drain having a water receptacle removably held within said water holder frame, a drying pad secured to the tub at its high end, and a quick-release drying pad grip curved to receive and hold the rolled drying pad when it is out of use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,327,866 Hagstrom Ian. 13, 1920 1,870,488 Bleustein Aug.. 9, 1932 2,143,674 Berger Jan. 10, 1939 2,581,883 Rechler Ian. 8, 1952 

